Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,840 to Bentley illustrates various tray table assemblies of the type frequently used on-board commercial aircraft. These tray tables, at times, are constructed so as to latch to the rear surfaces of back rests of seats forward of the users of the tables. Unlatching the tray tables permits their deployment into generally horizontal orientations for use as supporting platforms (for food trays or other items).
Also depicted in the Bentley patent are arms to which a tray table may be connected. These arms are attached to each side of the seat and are configured to pivot when the table is deployed or returned to its stowage position. FIGS. 7A and 7B of the Bentley patent, for example, detail locations of the arms when the tray table is stowed. FIGS. 7C and 7D, by contrast, illustrate positioning of the arms when the table is deployed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,421 to Brennan, et al. details another tray table assembly for aircraft use. FIG. 7 of the Brennan patent shows one tray table, together with corresponding arms, deployed for use by the depicted passenger. A second tray table is stowed in contact with the rear surface of the back rest of the seat in which the passenger is seated.
Although food service tray tables for passenger vehicles usually are connected to or stowed in passenger seats (including sometimes in arm rests thereof), they need not always be so connected or stowed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,059 to Kanigowski describes tray tables instead extending from cabinet assemblies. These cabinet assemblies are attached to rear walls of aircraft cabin bulkheads, with each tray table apparently made of energy-absorbing material and additionally functioning to dissipate kinetic energy over its area when impacted by a passenger during a rapid deceleration of the aircraft.
Each of the tray tables of the Bentley, Brennan, and Kanigowski patents conceivably could be configured to move linearly when deployed. Depending upon the distance between rows of seats (seat pitch) in the vehicle cabin, the nominal distance between the deployed table and its user may be more or less than optimal. Permitting the tray table to move in the generally-horizontal plane toward or away from the passenger thus may be advantageous.